Plastisphere

One of the greatest ecological nightmares threatening our planet’s water is plastic. As an artist addressing ecological concerns of water and the ecosystems within, the Fountains Foundation is a perfect location to exhibit my work. Rarely does one have an opportunity to link a viewer physically to a source of water while creating an art experience concerning water. Water is the life force of this planet and the manifestation of plastispheres indicate an overall unhealthy global ecosystem. Plastisphere is a relatively new term for an aquatic ecosystem of plastic that causes detrimental effects on the surrounding life forms. For instance, birds mistake small plastics as food and die from gastrointestinal problems. Furthermore microorganisms attach to the plastic and become a breeding ground for harmful bacterial. Increases in plastic pollutants are not only creating these unhealthy ecosystems in our oceans, but in local waters like Lake Michigan. The plastic these animals are ingesting is now a part of their food chain. As these animals suffer so do we, plastispheres host many kinds of harmful bacteria that can cause gastrointestinal ailments in humans if infected fish are ingested. The replacement of the body of the fish with a plastic representation symbolizes the destruction of the natural and the rise and potential ruin of the synthetic.